Turnabout: Flowers
by Holly Wills
Summary: Guessing at the romantic life of someone else's kid is fair game, but when it's your own offspring it's not so funny anymore, is it? [one-shot, InoichiOC, InoShika - of course]


Of all the days of the week, Yamanaka Inoichi looked forward to Friday the most. Saturday, of course, was a close second – it being his one and only day off – but Fridays (nights, especially) were special and unique. After all, it was time for family – for eating together, talking and catching up, sharing hopes and dreams and fears. It was the one night, among all other nights, that he could sit back and relax (preferably with a drink in his hand) and spend the hours listening to his dear daughter's endless chatter and his wife's occasional murmurs of assent.

This was what he was thinking as he helped his wife clear that night's dishes. Most men of his generation (a certain scarred shinobi comes to mind) would probably balk at the thought of doing chores, but Inoichi truly treasured these little moments. It was time, after all, to spend with Ria, who was still the most beautiful in the world to him (Ino being a _very close_ second, of course). It allowed him to observe her gentle movements and wonder, once again, how fortunate he was to have married such a woman.

It was during this quiet, almost unnervingly peaceful, time that his dear, dear wife broke the news.

"I almost forgot to tell you," she exclaimed, her face brightening. "Shikaku's kid was here a while ago."

"Ah, Shikamaru?"

It was hardly unusual for the boy to come around every now and then; he and Ino were on the same team after all. Shikamaru often swung by to inform her about a mission or, on rarer occasions, ask her how she was doing.

It was, in sum, nothing to be excited about, but the amused smirk on his wife's face told him it was going to be a different story.

"What did he want?"

"Oh, you know, what boys his age want to know," she leaned in and whispered conspiratorially. " _What girls like_." She let out a light chuckle, accompanied by a light shake of the head, before rinsing the rest of the dishes.

Inoichi, momentarily stunned, paused mid-wipe. The boy, much like his father, was given to bouts of lethargy that, along with that peculiar (and irritating) habit of finding most things troublesome, practically made him "undateable" (at least according to Ino).

To find out that Shikamaru was taking a step to resolve that area in his life was, well, quite a proud moment, and Inoichi wasn't even the boy's father. He could only imagine how Shikaku would react when he heard the news.

(With a loud, disbelieving snort, probably.)

"He wanted to know what kind of flowers he should give to a girl," Ria was saying. "I asked what the occasion was, but he just shrugged and said nothing. A little rude and disrespectful," she said, sniffing haughtily, "but Ino always said that was the usual behavior for him, so I let it pass."

"Eh, he could seem a bit maladjusted socially," Inoichi remarked as he placed another plate on the rack. "But you know how Shikaku was when you first met him – acting all stoic and withdrawn. I guess it's the same with the kid; it just takes a bit of time for them to warm up to others."

His wife narrowed her brown eyes – clearly still not over Shikamaru's dismissive shrug – but continued with her story, "I asked him what he wanted to say with the flowers, and he said he wasn't sure, so I walked him around and showed him what we had on stock and— Oh, that reminds me! We should replenish our supply of carnations! That ridiculous-looking boy with the bowl cut—"

"Rock Lee," Inoichi gently corrected.

"Yes, that one. Master Gai's student, right? He was here again yesterday and bought all of our stock. He was shouting about young love or something… Well, anyway, as I was saying, I showed Shikamaru what we had, and after a bit of thought, he made his pick." Ria looked up at him, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Three guesses as to what he got."

"I'm guessing gardenias, pansies, and white roses," answered Inoichi. He was quite certain Shikamaru would not go with the bolder flowers, like roses and camellias. He knew how people's attitudes and tendencies bled into other aspects of their lives, and if the boy was quiet and laid-back, his attitude towards love would reflect the same.

Ria, to his surprise, laughed. "Oh, dear, you couldn't be more wrong," she said, throwing him a sympathetic smile. "I don't blame you, though. It was such an _unconventional_ bouquet."

Ah, he should have expected as much. "Really now? What was in it?"

"It was _very_ odd, actually," she noted, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "I don't think I've ever handled such a strange order. I asked him several times if he was sure about his purchase, and each time he nodded and said yes, he _really_ was. Perfect combination, I think he said."

"Oh, don't tell me he bought several variety of cacti?" Inoichi joked, smirking to himself.

Ria turned to him, scandalized, and slapped his arm. "Heavens, no! What are you thinking?"

"R-right, sorry…" he said, chuckling uncomfortably. He really should have known better… Clearing his throat, Inoichi circled back to the topic at hand. "Uh, so, what did the kid buy?"

"Freesias, narcissi, and a sprig of forget-me-nots," came the somewhat disappointed reply. "I thought I would finally get to see the boy's romantic side, but I suppose not."

Inoichi mused over the meaning of the floral combination. "A passive-aggressive declaration," he shrugged. "That's to be expected."

Ria shot him a look that clearly conveyed her feelings on the matter.

"Well, he did include the sprig of forget-me-nots," he added quickly. "That's good."

"Hardly a consolation for the poor girl who'll receive it," she sighed as she dried off her hands on her apron. "Our Ino, for instance, would be horrified. Oh, can you imagine? She's waited for so long, and when the moment finally comes…" She shook her head, smiling. "She'll probably scream at him and then never talk to him again. Poor boy."

"Oh, she'll let him know alright," Inoichi agreed, but then he muttered darkly, " _I_ would let him know too."

She patted his chest reassuringly. "Now, now, no need to get overprotective. I'm sure Ino can handle herself quite well."

"Yeah," he breathed. "I suppose you're right."

"I always am," she teased, grinning wryly. "By the way, that reminds me, who do you think it's for? The bouquet, I mean?"

He took a seat at the table, thinking hard. There weren't a lot of ladies to choose from, now that he thought about it. Heh, maybe there weren't even any. Shikaku certainly never said anything about his boy finding anyone remotely interesting.

"Well," Inoichi began. "If I'd have to hazard a guess, I'd say it's for the kunoichi from Sand. I've seen them hang out before. It wouldn't be such a stretch to think he was buying flowers for her."

"That's the ambassador, right?" asked Ria, as she filled the kettle with water for the evening tea. "The one Ino was telling us about? The Kazekage's sister?"

"Yes, that one, but," he frowned. "The flowers he chose are hardly fitting. They're certainly not something you'd give to someone who represents a country your village is currently trying to strengthen relationships with. Shikamaru is… many things… but he's not petty or dumb. Quite the opposite, in fact."

Ria frowned and crossed her arms in front of her. She leaned with her back against the counter, lost in thought. "So we are back in square one," she mused after a while. "Then again, I suppose if the proposal goes well, we'll be seeing a lot more of the boy around the shop, don't you think?"

"Yes," nodded Inoichi. "And I'm sure Ino will tell us all about it in the next few days. Our girl has quite the ear for these things... Speaking of the angel, where is she? Up in her room?"

"No, she left soon after dinner," Ria replied as she poured out the tea in two mugs. She handed one to him and sat on the opposite side of the table. "She was meeting a friend. Haruno Sakura, I think."

He arched an eyebrow and stared pointedly at the clock. They finished dinner at seven, and it was half-past eight now, way too late (in his opinion) for little girls to be wandering around the village at night.

(Even if those little girls happened to be trained shinobi.)

"Ino will be back at a reasonable time," his wife assured him, smiling lightly. "I made sure to remind her – _several times_ – of her Friday night curfew, so you don't have to worry about a thing."

He let out a light huff and sipped his tea slowly. It was irrational, but he couldn't help feeling anxious whenever Ino was out late gallivanting somewhere with her friends. It made him uneasy that she might be flirting with boys, going on dates, or – Kami forbid – _kissing someone_.

Weirdly enough, he didn't feel the same kind of anxiety when she was on a mission. Somehow, he found it much easier to see her as a fellow shinobi than as a normal, teenage girl.

"She'll be alright," Ria voiced, sensing his frustration. "And you really should stop fretting about Ino. She's fifteen. That's a good age for a girl. Plus, we'll be having her coming-of-age ceremony in a few months. She's old enough, dear, so let her be."

"Not old enough," he muttered grumpily into his tea.

"Oh, she could be forty years old, and you'll still say the same thing," Ria laughed, squeezing his shoulder lightly. "Don't worry. She's going to be fine."

* * *

The next day brought a fresh wave of anxiety. Inoichi had failed to keep watch for his daughter, having fallen asleep on the couch sometime past nine. He suspected his wife's hand in the matter – the tea did taste a _little_ funny last night – perhaps in an effort to keep him tethered, to stop him from meddling in Ino's affairs.

Not that he could help it, really. Ria often accused him of spoiling the girl and once pointed out his tendency to protect her from everyone and everything. But wasn't that the father's role – nay, right – in his daughter's life?

And so, with a heavy (and slightly grumpy) heart, Inoichi trudged up the stairs to his daughter's bedroom. Before anything else, he would make sure she made it home safely (and at a reasonable time!) last night. He rapped on the door.

"Ino? Are you there?"

No response.

"Darling, it's time for breakfast," he said, trying again. "Ino? Time to wake up."

When it was quite clear no one was coming, Inoichi frowned. Around this time, Ino would be up and about, helping her mother in the kitchen, doing her nails, brushing her hair, whatever. It was not like her to oversleep even during the weekend. _Strange_ , he thought, staring darkly at the door. _It's almost like she went home_ way past _her curfew._

Feeling a surge of (righteous?) indignation, he knocked louder. "Young lady," he growled, shaking the knob threateningly. "If you don't open this door right now, I'll ground you until you're—"

There was an audible click as the door swung open. Inoichi stumbled inside, his hand still grasping the knob, and instantly felt a rush of guilt. What if his daughter was in the process of dressing? That would be mortifying! He felt a thin sheen of sweat forming on his forehead as he, rather reluctantly, lifted his head to survey the scene.

Fortunately (at the moment), the tastefully decorated bedroom was devoid of human presence. The bed looked slept in which meant, at the very least, that she had gone home last night.

Inoichi breathed a sigh of relief, but it quickly morphed into a feeling of dread and anxiety as the implication of the empty room crashed down on him. _Hello, old friends_ , he thought miserably as his eyes roved around the room. Where would his daughter go so early on a Saturday morning? And why did she not ask for permission to leave?

He was _this_ close to yelling for Ria when he caught sight of a piece of wrapping paper peeking out underneath the bed covers. He crouched low and picked up the tell-tale clue. Then he narrowed his eyes as he read the characters printed on it.

"Yamanaka Flowers," he muttered into the empty space.

There were still traces of the flowers the paper had come with, though he could hardly tell the difference between the scents. He was getting rusty; his work at the Intelligence Division took most of his time, which left the shop-tending to his wife, daughter, and the occasional hired hands. Maybe Ria could distinguish them, but he had no time to consult with her. He strongly felt that it was imperative that he figure out where Ino went, and fast.

Searching on his hands and knees, Inoichi found the flowers shoved further down the space between the bed and the floor. He dragged them out into the cold, harsh light of day, picking them apart by kind. Most of the stems were bruised and battered, and what remained of the bulbs were in poor, crumpled condition, almost like the bouquet was swung around to hit someone repeatedly… _Weird._

He picked at the petals, trying desperately to identify the flowers so he could check the ledger for—

"Freesias," he breathed, ever so slightly confused. "And… narcissus?"

It took him several beats to fully comprehend what he was looking at. Later, he would chalk it up to his brain fervently denying the connection, even though the evidence was there, staring him right in the eye.

Realization, when it hit, was a particularly painful punch to the gut, and Inoichi, not the kind of man known for having an outrageously fiery temper, felt his anger rising to a dangerous, red-seeing level. His hands were balled into tight fists, crushing whatever was left of the flower bulbs into nothingness.

Then, without so much as an explanation or a goodbye to a startled Ria, Inoichi dashed down the stairs, grabbed his haori from the coat hanger, and ran out of the house towards his _former_ teammate's clan compound to seek an explanation (and possibly drag a protesting blonde back home).

In his haste to leave, however, he failed to notice a sprig of tiny, blue flowers, perfect and immaculate still, resting on the prettiest crystalline vase they owned, intentionally placed on top of the cabinet directly facing the bed – that is, that previously empty space his daughter first saw upon waking up in the morning.

* * *

 _Author's Note: I'm not overly familiar with the practice of_ hanakotoba _, so take this interpretation with a grain of salt. I also used the Western concept for the meaning of the narcissus (a.k.a. daffodil) because Japanese flower meanings are_ way too nice _. Anyway, the bouquet is supposed to mean: "You are immature and vain, but I love you all the same." I thought of going the quiet, understated romantic way, but I thought sarcastic, passive-aggressive is more of Shikamaru's style. What do you think?_

 _P.S. Why is it super hard to come up with a beginning and an end?_

 _P.P.S. Now that I have this story published, I can finally focus on work. (Damn you, plot bunnies!)_

 _P.P.P.S. Dads are awesome. I love you, dad!_


End file.
